New research reveals that businesses risk losing out on top talent by not implementing a flexible working policy.
IWG, which commissioned the study, found that 83% of 15,000 respondents, from 80 countries around the world, said they would choose a job with flexible working over one that didn’t.
Furthermore, almost one-third (28%) would prefer to choose where they work rather than receive an increase in holiday allowance.
“What we are seeing now is that flexible working is considered by many to be the new norm for any business that is serious about productivity, agility and winning the war for top talent,” said Mark Dixon, CEO and founder of IWG.
“Indeed, half of all our respondents claim to work outside their main office location for at least half of the week.”
71% of businesses think that offering flexible working enables them to expand their talent pool. And IWG claims that 85% of businesses have said they plan to introduce, or have already introduced, flexible working allowances in the past ten years.
But there is still a long way to go. One of the main obstacles to implementing a flexible working policy is organizational culture, which 60% of survey respondents say is a major barrier to change.